Hughes' son was 32 days old when he died from whooping cough, and she has since become a campaigner for vaccination.

"I don't know who is providing [Hanson with] advice about immunisation, but she needs to consider having a chat with some real experts," Hughes told BuzzFeed News. "The advice she is offering parents is not just thoughtless, it's dangerous."

Hughes said the danger in giving Hanson's views a platform is that they are often "regurgitated" online by parents opposed to vaccination.

"They use Pauline's clout as a politician to add more weight to their anti-vaccination arguments, and it is really troubling," she said.

"At the end of the day, it seems like Pauline is another parent who has been hoodwinked by vaccine conspiracy theories. I just wish she had less influence over vulnerable parents who may believe her misinformation."

Mark Di Stefano is a media and politics reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.